While freedom of speech is a defining characteristic of the United States, the First Amendment right is often regulated within certain environments. For years, schools have attempted to monitor and regulate student communication both within the educational environment and in student use of social media and other online communication tools.…

A strictly legal rights approach to freedom of expression is inadequate because it fails to acknowledge that such freedom rests on a set of assumptions that are not adequately met in the United States, and so make that system ineffectual. The first assumption is that speech can influence the beliefs and behavior of those to whom it is addressed;…

Noting that the "marketplace of ideas" metaphor often used in the study of freedom of speech is drawn from classical economics, this paper cites J. Murray's definition of the concept as "the idea that citizens in a democracy are well served if opinions of all kinds, accurate or inaccurate, are freely circulated." The first…

This issue of the "Free Speech Yearbook" contains the following: "Between Rhetoric and Disloyalty: Free Speech Standards for the Sunshire Soldier" by Richard A. Parker; "William A. Rehnquist: Ideologist on the Bench" by Peter E. Kane; "The First Amendment's Weakest Link: Government Regulation of Controversial…

A collection of essays on free speech and communication is contained in this book. The essays include "From Fairness to Access and Back Again: Some Dimensions of Free Expression in Broadcasting"; "Local Option on the First Amendment?"; "A Look at the Fire Symbol Before and After May 4, 1970"; "Freedom to Teach,…

Discusses five Supreme Court decisions that relate to the First Amendment and freedom of the press. Includes small group decision-making exercises and discussion questions focusing on these interpretations for use in a college speech communication class. (MH)

Noting that the work of Jurgen Habermas has had an important influence on philosophy and the social sciences recently, this paper examines the implications of using Habermas's "ideal speech situation" as a criterion for deciding issues relating to the First Amendment. The paper first briefly reviews the distinctive features of critical…

Proceeding from the hypothesis that cable television (CATV) is one of the most significant developments in modern America, this booklet examines the medium itself and then devotes special attention to the capacity of CATV to serve the First Amendment interest in diversity of expression. The opening section deals with the size and growth of cable,…